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Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Արտաքին Գործերի Նախարարություն Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

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Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Արտաքին Գործերի Նախարարություն Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ՀԱՆՐԱՊԵՏՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԱՐՏԱՔԻՆ ԳՈՐԾԵՐԻ ՆԱԽԱՐԱՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆ MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ՅՈՒՆԵՍԿՕ - Ի ԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ՀԱՆՁՆԱԺՈՂՈՎ ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE PROTECTION OF ARMENIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE OF ARTSAKH (NAGORNO-KARABAKH) AND THE CASES OF ITS DESTRUCTION BY AZERBAIJAN 30 April 2021 Introduction Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has a rich cultural heritage with more than 4.000 exquisite ancient Armenian cultural and religious sites, including 370 churches, 119 fortresses, and other historical and cultural monuments which provide material evidence for the long history of Armenians in the region. The churches of Artsakh date from the 4th to the 21st century and its valuable archaeological sites date back to the period between the 1st c. BCE – 13th c. CE. As a result of large-scale military aggression by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno- Karabakh) launched on September 27, 2020, with the direct involvement of Turkey as well as foreign terrorist fighters from Syria and Libya, and following the trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities, at least 1.456 objects of Armenian historical and cultural property have come under Azerbaijani control. It includes 161 Armenian churches, 591 khachkars (engraved cross-stones), the archaeological site of Tigranakert, the Azokh Paleolithic cave, the Nor Karmiravan tombs, Mirik, Keren, and architectural monuments such as palaces, bridges, and historic quarters. Moreover, on the territories under the Azerbaijani control, there are 8 state and 2 private museums and galleries with more than 19.000 exhibits. Today, after almost six months since the cessation of hostilities, the fate of these monuments, religious sites, and museum exhibits remains unclear as they are under the constant threat of deliberate destruction, acts of vandalism, and desecration. There is abundant reason to believe that Azerbaijan will intentionally destroy and/or misappropriate the Armenian cultural heritage sites which are currently under its military control. This threat is well substantiated, considering Azerbaijan’s practice of systematic destruction and alteration of the identity of Armenian cultural heritage sites during both peacetime and the course of the recent war. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government House #2, 3, Vazgen Sargsyan Street, Yerevan 0010, Armenia, Tel.: +37460 - 620505, 620541, 620244, E-mail: [email protected] The anti-Armenian policy of Azerbaijan The Azerbaijani hostility and disdain towards Armenian cultural heritage stem from the anti-Armenian policy pursued by Azerbaijan, which has intensified over decades. This matter has been confirmed by several independent international organizations, such as the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe. The ECRI has affirmed that hate speech against Armenians is a prevalent problem in Azerbaijan, and found that political leaders, educational institutions, and the media have ensured that a generation of Azerbaijanis has been imbued with this hateful anti-Armenian rhetoric1. Azerbaijani authorities have used the dehumanization and demonization of Armenians as an instrument of propaganda to shape public opinion and create deeply rooted damaging stereotypes about Armenians. In turn, this hate speech has boosted more hostility, murders, and war crimes against Armenians based on their ethnicity. The most recent racist and hate-generating initiative of Azerbaijan is the installation of the Military Trophies Park in Baku, dedicated to the war in Artsakh, inaugurated on April 12, 2021, with the presence of the President of Azerbaijan. The exhibits of this Park display the helmets of the fallen Armenian soldiers and wax mannequins depicting Armenian soldiers with degraded faces, some of which are shown as suffering, captured, and dying. The Park has opened its doors to Azerbaijani children, who in photos released by Azerbaijani media, are seen happily playing with the degrading displays of Armenian soldiers (Annex 1). It is also noteworthy that the institutionalized anti-Armenian campaign of Azerbaijan deliberately targets the religious rights of the Armenian population. The vast number of Armenian churches, which came under the Azerbaijani control as a result of the Azerbaijani military aggression, remain inaccessible for the local Armenian population. The Azerbaijani government has denied the right of displaced Armenians to freely exercise their religion in churches. This stance is in violation of international law and human rights. It is important to guarantee safe access for Armenian pilgrims and religious leaders to churches and monasteries to freely exercise their right to religion and believe. Moreover, for many years, the Azerbaijani government has been using its anti- Armenian propaganda as a tool to repress pro-democracy dissidents and peace-building activists, and their work has been continuously met by groundless accusations of having Armenian ancestry or being a part of a wider Armenian conspiracy against the Azerbaijani state. As such, activists who called for a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were often marginalized, arrested, and sentenced to heavy prison terms. The propaganda of Azerbaijani multiculturalism Azerbaijani authorities often portray Azerbaijan as a beacon of multilateralism and peaceful coexistence in an otherwise intolerant and turbulent region. However, as evidence has shown, this is purely a charade put in place to appease international audiences and conceal Azerbaijan’s horrific record of ethnic and religious discrimination. Therefore, the Azerbaijani claims that it is welcoming of various minority groups, are quite simply inaccurate, rendering Azerbaijan hypocritical when it accuses its neighbors of being intolerant of diversity. 1 European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). (June, 2016). Report on Azerbaijan (fifth monitoring cycle). Available at: https://rm.coe.int/fourth-report-on-azerbaijan/16808b5581 2 The country has a track record rife with examples of hate speech, intolerance, and persecution of minorities including Talysh people, Lezgin people, Udi people, and Jews. Independent research has uncovered a significant amount of antisemitism in the country as well as intolerance towards Christianity. Minority Muslim and “non-traditional” religious communities have also faced significant restrictions including police raids, police and pre-trial detention, the closing of places of worship, the ban on praying outside mosques, censorship of religious literature, and heavy penalties, as confirmed by the ECRI. Additionally, Minority Rights Group International reports that several minority communities, including the Talysh, Lezgins, Meskhetian Turks, and Kurds, have all experienced discrimination, restrictions on the ability to teach in their first languages, and harassment by local authorities2. It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan is compelling certain minority groups to take part in its anti-Armenian policy. For instance, Udis a tiny minority group of about 4 thousand people, are obliged to take part in the misappropriation campaign of Azerbaijan against Armenian religious monuments. Intentional destruction of Armenian cultural heritage There are numerous precedents of intentional destruction of several Armenian cultural heritage sites by Azerbaijan during and aftermath of the recent war (Annex 2). The most recent example is the complete demolition of the Armenian Holy Mother of God Church (Zoravor Surb Astvatsatsin Church) near the town of Mekhakavan (Jebrail), as documented by the BBC (Annex 3)3. This happened after the region fell under Azerbaijani control. The Azerbaijani side confirmed the deliberate and pre-planned nature of the full destruction of this church, which was carried out with the decision of the Azerbaijani authorities. Even during the war, the Azerbaijani military published a video that showed its soldiers cynically insulting and vandalizing the Armenian church (Annex 4). Moreover, on April 19 the Caucasus Heritage Watch shared satellite images showing several vehicles parked next to the Vankasar Church in Aghdam district that came under the control of Azerbaijan after the trilateral statement (Annex 5)4. The demolition of the Holy Mother of God Church near Mekhakavan (Jebrail) justifies fears that Vankasar Church could also be demolished. Additionally, the ruins of Tigranakert – the significant Hellenistic and Armenian archaeological site of an ancient city founded by Tigranes the Great in 95-55 BCE – can be found less than 2 kilometers from Vankasar Church. During the war, it became an area of intensive war activity and was shelled several times, proving yet again the complete disdain of Azerbaijani authorities towards even the most remarkable sites of cultural heritage which belong not only to Armenians but also to the whole world (Annex 6). Furthermore, recent satellite imagery, as well as photos, and a video circulating on social media, have confirmed that the 200-years-old Church of Saint John the Baptist (St. Hovhannes Mkrtich Church, popularly known as Kanach Zham) in the city of Shushi of Artsakh currently under the Azerbaijani control has been partially demolished (Annex 7). It is in the same city of Shushi where another Armenian church, the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots 2 Minority Rights Group International. (March, 2018). Azerbaijan - current issues. Available at: https://minorityrights.org/country/azerbaijan/ 3 Nagorno-Karabakh: The mystery of the missing
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